Antenna Arrangement

• US 20120329407A1
• Filed: 06/22/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Renesas Mobile Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: ROUSU, Seppo, Palomaa, Hannu, Frankton, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,849,217 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/90.2
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/12 of transmit antennas, e.g. of the amplitude or phase
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems

Abstract

There is provided a method, an apparatus and a computer program product, which introduces a phase shift between radiation phase patterns of associated antennas which are applicable in transmitting and/or receiving radio frequency signals simultaneously via an air interface, wherein the phase shift is introduced in order to obtain orthogonality between the associated radio frequency signals.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

introducing a phase shift between radiation phase patterns of associated antennas which are applicable in transmitting and/or receiving radio frequency signals simultaneously via an air interface, wherein the phase shift is introduced in order to obtain orthogonality between the associated radio frequency signals.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

introducing the phase shift by designing associated antenna radiators, a radio front end and/or associated antenna circuitries to generate a certain phase shift between the radiation phase patterns, which certain phase shift causes orthogonality between the associated radio frequency signals.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

introducing the phase shift by electrically tuning the current phase shift between the radiation phase patterns of the associated antennas in order to obtain orthogonality between the associated radio frequency signals.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the electrical tuning is performed to at least one of the following:

at least one of the associated antennas, at least one of associated antenna circuitries and a radio front end.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

changing galvanic characteristics between at least two of the associated antennas, wherein the galvanic characteristics comprise at least one of the following;

a distance, a phase of a signal and an impedance of a related antenna circuitry.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

changing galvanic characteristics between at least one of the associated antenna interfaces and a ground in order to control the phase shift, wherein the galvanic characteristics comprise at least one of the following;

a distance, a phase of a signal and an impedance of a related antenna circuitry.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

obtaining feedback related to performed radio communication; and

electrically tuning the phase shift between the radiation phase patterns of the associated antennas on the basis of the feedback.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

introducing the phase shift by designing or electrically tuning antenna impedances of the associated antennas to be unequal in order to obtain orthogonality between the associated radio frequency signals.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the introduction of the phase shift between the radiation phase patterns of the associated antennas is obtained by performing at least one of the following:

opening/closing at least one switch, and designing and/or electrically tuning at least one special purpose radio frequency component, wherein the at least one special purpose radio frequency component is located in at least one of the following;

at least one of the associated antennas, at least one of the associated antenna circuitries and the radio front end.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the phase shift, which causes orthogonality between the associated radio frequency signals, is substantially 180 degrees.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

replacing at least one of the associated antennas with another antenna on the basis of at least one of the following;

transmission/reception activity, mechanical change in the structure of a terminal device comprising the antennas, interference level, transmission/reception power level, transmission bandwidths, modulation, interoperability between different radio functionalities, and change in carrier aggregation configuration.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing to a memory at least one configuration comprising tuning instruction for at least one of the following;

at least one of the associated antennas, at least one of the associated antenna circuitries and the radio front end, wherein each configuration produces a certain phase shift; and

applying an appropriate configuration from the memory when the certain phase shift is to be obtained between the radiation phase patterns of the associated antennas.

25. An apparatus comprising means configured to cause the apparatus to carry out the method according to claim 1.

26. A computer program product embodied on a distribution medium readable by a computer and comprising program instructions which, when loaded into an apparatus, execute the method according claim 1.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

introduce a phase shift between radiation phase patterns of associated antennas which are applicable in transmitting and/or receiving radio frequency signals simultaneously via an air interface, wherein the phase shift is introduced in order to obtain orthogonality between the associated radio frequency signals.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

introduce the phase shift by designing associated antenna radiators, a radio front end and/or associated antenna circuitries to generate a certain phase shift between the radiation phase patterns, which certain phase shift causes orthogonality between the associated radio frequency signals.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

introduce the phase shift by electrically tuning the current phase shift between the radiation phase patterns of the associated antennas in order to obtain orthogonality between the associated radio frequency signals.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the electrical tuning is performed to at least one of the following:

at least one of the associated antennas, at least one of associated antenna circuitries and a radio front end.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

change galvanic characteristics between at least two of the associated antennas, wherein the galvanic characteristics comprise at least one of the following;

a distance, a phase of a signal and an impedance of a related antenna circuitry.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

change galvanic characteristics between at least one of the associated antenna interfaces and a ground in order to control the phase shift, wherein the galvanic characteristics comprise at least one of the following;

a distance, a phase of a signal and an impedance of a related antenna circuitry.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

obtain feedback related to performed radio communication; and

electrically tune the phase shift between the radiation phase patterns of the associated antennas on the basis of the feedback.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

introduce the phase shift by designing or electrically tuning antenna impedances of the associated antennas to be unequal in order to obtain orthogonality between the associated radio frequency signals.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the introduction of the phase shift between the radiation phase patterns of the associated antennas is obtained by performing at least one of the following:

opening/closing at least one switch, and designing and/or electrically tuning at least one special purpose radio frequency component, wherein the at least one special purpose radio frequency component is located in at least one of the following;

at least one of the associated antennas, at least one of the associated antenna circuitries and the radio front end.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the phase shift, which causes orthogonality between the associated radio frequency signals, is substantially 180 degrees.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

replace at least one of the associated antennas with another antenna on the basis of at least one of the following;

transmission/reception activity, mechanical change in the structure of a terminal device comprising the antennas, interference level, transmission/reception power level, transmission bandwidths, modulation, interoperability between different radio functionalities, and change in carrier aggregation configuration.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

store to a memory at least one configuration comprising tuning instruction for at least one of the following;

at least one of the associated antennas, at least one of the associated antenna circuitries and the radio front end, wherein each configuration produces a certain phase shift; and

apply an appropriate configuration from the memory when the certain phase shift is to be obtained between the radiation phase patterns of the associated antennas.